Ozzie weighs in on Wade-Spoelstra flap

CLEVELAND -- Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen isn't much of a basketball fan, but he understands respect must exist between players and managers.

Guillen was asked on Friday about the confrontation between Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and superstar Dwyane Wade in the third quarter on Thursday night.

Wade and Spoelstra exchanged words in the Heat's 19-point loss to the Indiana Pacers.

What would Guillen do if a player got in his face?

"I would kick his [butt]," Guillen said. "Listen, we've got a job to do. I'm not going to say I'm going to kick his [butt], because they're bigger than me, and I'm older. But I would take my chances.

"Some people have to understand, that's our job. Players have to understand what kind of job we have. Some players think they know baseball more than you do. But they can [only control] what they do on the field. They don't know what we're thinking. They don't know what kind of moves we make."

In Guillen's career as manager, he hasn't had a shouting match with a player. He did note that once, while with the White Sox, he said a word he regretted to a pitcher on the mound.

Guillen didn't identify the pitcher, and he said no other players heard the remark.

Afterward, Guillen apologized to the player for showing a lack of respect.

"First of all, I'm never going to disrespect my players," Guillen said. "I did it once, and I apologized before everyone. I'm not going to tell you who. ... I said, 'Listen, I apologize as a man, because I will respect you as a man. I will respect you as a man. I will apologize in front of all of your teammates.'"

LoMo gets first start at designated hitter

CLEVELAND -- Playing in an American League park gives Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen plenty of choices to use as the designated hitter.

In Friday's Interleague series opener at Cleveland, Guillen opted to use Logan Morrison as the DH.

The Marlins are still monitoring Morrison's right knee, which underwent surgery in the offseason. Typically, the Miami left fielder is given a day off following a flight.

On Thursday, the Marlins completed a two-game set at Atlanta.

"We flew in last night; it was late," Guillen said. "Every time we do that, I try to give LoMo a day. What should be a day off, I'll [instead] DH him."

Guillen hasn't decided who will be the DH the rest of the series. Choices are Greg Dobbs, who started at first base on Friday, and Austin Kearns. Or, it again could be Morrison.

Bryan Petersen started in left field on Friday.

"I have plenty of people," Guillen said. "It's hard when you're in the American League and you lose the DH [in a National League Park]. You lose your DH or some players who should be playing, but are not playing. We got the guys."

Morrison has not served as a DH before at the big league level. To stay active, he plans on riding the stationary bike.

"I'll probably just watch the game on TV, ride the bike, and do stuff like that," he said. "I feel fine."

Reyes, Acta catch up at Progressive Field

CLEVELAND -- Interleague Play sometimes gives players, coaches and managers a chance to catch up with each other.

Indians manager Manny Acta previously was the third-base coach of the Mets when Jose Reyes was in New York.

Reyes, the Marlins shortstop, was able to have a few words with Acta before Friday's game at Progressive Field.

"I've seen him," Acta said of the four-time All-Star shortstop. "I don't want to see him again from the other side. No, he's a guy that everybody -- from the fans to the visiting team -- enjoys watching him play. He's got so much energy, from Day 1 until the last day. He brings so much to the table with his defense, his arm strength, speed and ability.

"He's just one of the elite players in the game. I enjoyed my time with him. He's great. He's a handful on the other side, so I'm not looking forward to it. But, yeah, he's one of those guys that fans probably appreciate Interleague for. Unless you play them, you're not going to get to see one of the best players in the game."

For Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen, facing the Indians gives him a chance to see his brother-in-law. Cleveland pitching coach Scott Radinsky's wife, Darlenys, is the sister of Guillen's wife, Ibis.

"He's the best pitching coach in the game," Guillen told reporters, then laughed saying his brother-in-law has three children to feed.

Marlins respond to Wood's retirement

CLEVELAND -- Before taking the field on Friday night, a number of Marlins were watching the White Sox-Cubs Interleague game on television.

The game marked Kerry Wood's final appearance. The Cubs right-hander is retiring.

"It surprised me that he did it in the middle of the season," Guillen said. "Tremendous man. Great human being. Great pitcher. Very touching moment out there. I was watching the game. Very classy people in Chicago, giving him a standing ovation. They appreciate what he did for the Cubs, and baseball, period. He's a class act.

"Good players retire. I always say that. Ozzie Guillen got released. That's the way to retire. I hate when players don't play for three months or three years and all of sudden they come out of retirement. No, you retired three years ago. Why you retire now?"

Marlins outfielder Austin Kearns was a teammate of Wood in Cleveland. And the two were traded one day apart from each other from the Indians to the Yankees.

"He wasn't fun to face," Kearns said. "He was, stuff-wise, as good as it gets. And effectively wild too. He was as good as it gets when you talk about stuff."

Infante maintains consistency in No. 2 spot

CLEVELAND -- No matter where he is in the lineup, Omar Infante continues to hit.

The Marlins second baseman has been the club's most consistent batter all season, sporting a .325 batting average.

At no stretch has he gone more than two games without a hit. When he was in his most recent slide, an 0-for-11 drought, he used a bunt single in the third inning in Tuesday's win over the Pirates to get back on track.

The bunt triggered a four-hit game, and he followed that up with three hits in Atlanta on Wednesday.

"That little base hit," Infante said, "that's what I was looking for, because I was [0-for-11]. I was looking for a hit. I was looking at third base, he was playing behind the bag. Sometimes I can bunt good for a hit. That helped me a lot."

Infante was hitless in four at-bats vs. the Braves on Thursday, but he entered the weekend Interleague series at Cleveland 7-for-14 in his last three games.

Manager Ozzie Guillen has been using Infante in the second spot of late, and the second baseman has responded with a .367 average. He's also been used a lot hitting fifth (.270), sixth (.375) and seventh (.381).

Infante is making a strong case to be an All-Star, and he tops all National League second basemen in batting average. Jose Altuve and Martin Prado are batting .319.

"It's not easy," Infante says of maintaining a high batting average. "Sometimes you feel good, sometimes you feel bad."

Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter @JoeFrisaro. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.